Japan's economy did grow in 2010, but only 3.9%, according to the government. China's is expected to grow more than 10%. At the speed China is growing, Japan's government predicts China will overtake the United States as the world's largest economy in less than 20 years.

Japan, meanwhile, has been stuck in stagnation and deflation for two decades. Decisive economic policy has been lost in the revolving door of the country's top leader, with six prime ministers passing through in just five years. Looking ahead, Japan is facing a significant demographic shift, with the world's fastest aging population and one of the globe's lowest birth rates.

On the national debt issue, Japan's parliament is struggling to cap its GDP-to-debt ratio, which is nearing 200% -- the world's highest among developed nations.

The size of an economy does not tell the entire picture, however: Japan's GDP per head is around $40,000 while China's is $4,500. The standards of living remain remarkably different in the two countries. But the economic size of a country gives a snapshot of not just the financial influence of a nation, but its power in the world's political sphere.

In Buffalo, New York, the city is selling vacant homes for a $1 to those who are willing to fix them up and live in them for a few years. But as many buyers soon find out, the cost to renovate these super cheap properties can quickly add up. More